Microwave cooking is popular as a quick and convenient way of preparing many types of foods. One important characteristic of microwave cooking is that the food cooks from the outside to the inside. It is therefore known that microwave cooking can cook food unevenly such that the center cooks less than the peripheral areas. This may be an advantageous feature in the preparation of certain food products such as meat where it may be desired to serve the product less well done. In addition, the uneven cooking characteristic of microwave ovens has not been a major drawback in the heating of pre-cooked food products, due to differing food densities.
However, the uneven cooking associated with microwave ovens has posed a major problem in the cooking of food products which have not been pre-cooked, such as eggs and sauces. In such instances, the even distribution of heat throughout the food product is crucial to complete and thorough cooking. Uniform cooking is particularly important in the preparation of foods which ordinarily require mixing such as batters, doughs, sauces, stews and the like. Heretofore, microwave cooking has not been particularly suitable for the preparation of such foods which require mixing and a substantially even distribution of heat. At present, the microwave cooking process must be stopped and the oven must be opened so that the food can be stirred. Thus, there is a need for a microwave oven which permits all cooking and stirring operations that might be done on a stove top to be accomplished therein.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a microwave mixer which ensures that liquid, semi-liquid and mixable foods are uniformly and completely cooked by mixing the same during the cooking process.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a microwave oven having an integral mixing means for mixing food in the microwave chamber during cooking.